Spindle adapter for high-speed strand twisting machines



E. BAY

May 26, 1953 SPINDLE ADAPTER FOR HIGH-SPEED STRAND TWISTING MACHINESFiled Sept. 12, 1951 Patented May 26, 1953 .SPINDLE ADAPTER FORHIGHFSPEED STRAND TWISTING MACHINES Ernest Bay, Saylesville, R. 1.,assignor to Owens- Gorning .Fiberglas Corporation, a corporation ofDelaware Application September 12, 1951.. erial No. 246,18

(Cl. Sm-130) This invention relates to apparatus for twisting strands oftextile and other fibers at high speeds and, more particularly, toadapter means for permitting the use of spindle spools of "differentinside diameters Without the necessity for changing spindles themselves.

A rotary spindle for a high speed twister is usually a rod or shaftwhich is rotated on its longitudinal axis at a high rate of speed and onwhich there is placed a spool, frequently made of lightweight cardboardor similar material, with the strand being wrapped on the cardboardspool as it is twisted. Such machines are con.- ventional in the strandmaking arts but where a machine is equipped with a spindle having acertain outside diameter it has been the custom either to always employspools having the same internal diameters which thus fitsnugly over thespindle or to use spacing collars each designed to accommodate aparticular size of spool on 'a particular size of spindle.

Because of the variances in the inner diameters of cardboard tubes andsimilar materials which are used for spools and because of the necessityfor disassembly of the spindle in order to insert a different spacer foreach different type of spool employed, this conventional operation isunnecessarily lengthy and may result in only approximate matching insizes between the interior of the spool on which the strand is beingtwisted and the exterior of such spacer or collar as may be employed.

It is, therefore, the principal object of this invention to provide aspindle-adapter which will accommodate spools of many different inside'diameters.

It is another object of this invention to provide a spindle adaptercomprising means for frictionally grasping spools thereby to transferrotary torque to the spools without loss due to slipping.

It is, another object of this invention to provide a spindle adapteradjustable to provide more or less frictional pressure against thespools being rotated and that is provided with means for accommodatingspools having inner diameters of substantially different size.

These and more specific objects and advantages will become apparent froma study of the specification that follows and from the drawings, inwhich:

Fig. 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic and fragmentary view in elevation of ahigh speed twisting machine equipped with a spindle adapter embodyingthe invention.

2 Fig. 2 is a greatly enlarged vertical sectional view of the spindle ofthe machine shown in .Fig. 1 and illustrating the construction of aspindl'e adapter embodying the invention.

Fig. 3 is a still further enlarged fragmentary view of a spindle adapterembodying the invention.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 44 of Fig. 3.

Ahigh speed twisting machine may be equipped with a vertically extendingshaft-like spindle Id that is mounted for rotation on its longitudinalaxis by a pair of bearings H and is driven, for example, by means of abelt [2 that is engaged in a pulley l3 pinned or otherwise secured onthe spindle and driven by a motor M. The spindle [it has a disk-likecollar is near its base.

Circumjacently surrounding the spindle ill there is located a rotatableannulus l6 that is mounted in a ring bearing ll held in turn by asupport ring is mounted on the frame of the machine. The annulus I5 isfree to rotate on a vertical axis coaxial with the axis of the spindleIll. The annulus 5 at one side has a pair of oppositely directed notchesor detent holes is for the reception of a wire loop 28 (or other similarelements) which provide an eye through which a strand 2! can pass. Thestrand 2 l, in the structure shown in Fig. l, is supplied from a package22, for example, that is replaceably mounted on an arbor 23 rotatablymounted in a bracket or stand 24 near the top of the machine. The

strand 2! is led through a guiding eye 25, over a pair of tensioningrollers 26, for example, through a second eye 2? and then through theloop 20 on the rotatable annulus it. The strand is then engaged with atubular spool 28 that is carried and rotated by the spindle ll As themotor it rotates the spindle It, the strand is wound thereon. Thetwisting annulus i5 is reciprocated vertically as shown by the arrow inFig. 1 in a cycle so selected that the vertical movement is more rapidnear the ends of its travel than at the center portion and thus thestrand is built up on the rotating spool 28 with conical ends and agenerally cylindrical center portion. This prevents the strand fromspilling over the ends of the tubular spool 28 and builds a compact andtightly wrapped spool or strand. By controlling the tension required topass the strand around the tensioning rollers 26 with respect to thelinear speed of the wrap up of the strand on the spool 28, the linearspeed of the strand as it leaves the package 22 can be varied withrespect to its speed as it wraps on the spool 3 28. The diiference inlinear speeds causes the twisting annulus Hi to rotate, revolving theloop 20 around the spool 28 as it reciprocates vertically. Therevolution of the loop 20 around the spool causes the strand to betwisted in a number of turns per inch differentially resulting from thevariance in the linear speed of the strand above the tensioning rollers26 and onto the spool 28.

In order to provide for the acceptance and rotation of spools 28 ofvarying internal diameters and in order to insure that suiiicientfrictional contact is maintained therewith to prevent slippage betweenthe spindle l and spool 28, a spindle adapter 29 embodying the inventionis removably mounted near the upper end of the spindle ID. The spindleadapter 29 comprises a generally cylindrical body 30 having an axialbore 3| of such diameter as to slip over the spindle ID. A radiallyextending threaded hole 32 in the adapter 29 receives a set screw 33 bymeans of which the adapter 29 can be fixedlypositioned on the spindleID.

A plurality of axially and radially extending slots 34 are cut in theperiphery of the body 36 for the reception of formed tension clips 35.At one end of each of the slots 34, the slot is undercut forming apocket 36 for receiving one end of the clip 35. At the other end of eachof the slots 34 the slot similarly is undercut forming a pocket 31 forthe other end of the clip 35. The pocket 37 intersects a drilled hole 38in which is threaded an adjusting screw 39 against which the end of theclip 35 bears.

By axially adjusting the screws 39 the clips 35 may be more or lessbowed and thus their eifective retaining diameter increased or decreasedas desired. The shape of the clips 35 is such that normally they do notcontact the ends of the slots 34 in the pockets 35 or butt loosely theends of the screws 39. Therefore, spools 23 of lesser diameter can beslid over the exterior of the adapter 29 and if the diameter of thespool is less than the effective diameter of the adapter the adapterclips 35 are forced inwardly.

In association with an adapter 29 embodying the invention there isemployed a conical collar 43 which loosely fits the spindle l0 and isdropped thereover resting on the upper surface of the disk collar I5,for receiving the bottom ends of the spools 28. Because of the conicalvertical surfaces of the collar 40 spools of substantially differentinner diameters can be pushed downwardly thereon until they are snuglyreceived. The upper ends of the spools thus pushed downwardly on thecollar ii are resiliently engaged by the clips 35 and driven therebywhen the spindle I0 is rotated.

Having described the invention, I claim:

1. A spindle adapter for a high speed twisting machine having anelongated spindle that comprises, a generally cylindrical body removablymounted on said spindle, said body having a plurality of peripheral,axially extending slots with an undercut socket at each end of eachslot, a resilient bowed clip mounted in each of said slots and extendingradially therefrom with its ends in said sockets, means for varying thedegree of bowing of said clip for varying its radial extent from saidslot and means for retaining said adapter on said spindle.

2. A spindle adapter for a high speed twisting machine having anelongated spindle that comprises, a generally cylindrical body removablymounted on said spindle, said body having a plurality of peripheral,axially extending slots with an undercut socket at each end of eachslot, a resilient bowed clip mounted in each of said slots and extendingradially therefrom with its ends in said sockets, there being an axialbore in said body intersecting one end of said slot, a screw threaded insaid bore and bearing against one end of said clip for varying thedegree of bowing of said clip and thus for varying its radial extentfrom said slot and means for retaining said adapter on said spindle.

8. Means for mounting spools of varying diameters on a spindle of atwisting machine comprising the combination of a generally cylindricaladapter body mounted near one end of said spindle, said adapter bodyhaving axially extending slots in its periphery and undercut sockets ateach end thereof, resilient clips having bowed bodies with the ends ofsaid clips fitting in said sockets and the bowed bodies thereofprotruding radially through said slots beyond the periphery of said bodyfor resiliently engaging the inner surfaces of spools of diiierentinterior diameters with a collar fitting over the other end of saidspindle and having a cone shaped periphery with its smaller end directedtoward said adapter body.

ERNEST BAY.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 2,488,879 Pichette n Nov. 22, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS NumberCountry Date 3,320 Great Britain Mar. 14, 1887 606,643 Germany Dec. 6,1934 673,719 Germany Mar. 26, 1939 685,717 Germany Dec. 22, 1939 831,468France June 7, 1938

